The Dark Between the Trees

September 2, 2022

DEBUT In 1643, a troop of soldiers are ambushed in Northern England and flee into Moresby Wood, a decision that is filled with fear and dread amidst tales of local superstition. In the present, a group of five women led by historian Dr. Alice Christopher enters those same woods to settle the mystery of what really happened to the soldiers and why the historical record shows only two survived. What they find is unbelievable: vanishing trees, a broken compass, shifting woods while one sleeps, and eyes flashing behind branches. Alternating chapters between the women and the soldiers showcase the parallels and perpendiculars of their experiences in Moresby Wood as Barnett spins out clever and creepy juxtapositions between fear and folklore. This is horror at its best: predictably set in a deep, dark wood with a likely cast of characters, yet unexpectedly immediately spooky and jaw-dropping. VERDICT Barnett's debut is uniquely captivating as a series of ghost stories told within a time-jumping mystery. For fans of thrillers and gothic-meets-modern horror, recommend this to readers of Andrew Michael Hurley, Megan Shepherd, Sarah Waters, and EV Knight.--Alana Quarles

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September 15, 2022
Moresby Wood sits in northern England. It is thought by locals to be the unnatural home of a witch and demonic creatures, and no one ventures into it. Fleeing from an ambush, Parliamentarian soldiers have no choice but to take refuge there; all but two deserters are never heard from again. Almost 400 years later, a group of 5 women--academics, national-park officials, and a surveyor--go into the woods to try to solve the mystery of what happened to those soldiers. Confidence and excitement soon turn to misery as all their navigation equipment fails and the women become lost. Like the soldiers before them, they realize that the local legends were not just scary campfire stories but a warning. Moving back and forth between the 1640s and the current time, the narrative slowly builds tension in both time lines as trees and paths disappear and reappear and something fierce, stealthy, and hungry stalks the humans. Surreal and haunting, this creepy, gothic-horror novel will appeal to fans of Jeff Vandermeer's Annihilation (2014) and The Blair Witch Project.

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